Quick Weight Loss Tips - 4 Great Ways to Lose Weight

Are you on the diet yo yo?

You know the feeling, you lose a few pounds and then gain them back the next week because you can't stick to the strict regimented diet. If you're having trouble losing weight, you're not alone. While it's possible for you to lose weight quickly, you also need to keep in mind that you don't want to lose more than 1 or 2 pounds per week, anything more than that can be unhealthy.

Of course, if you happen to lose five or ten pounds in a week, then that means your body is flushing out extra water weight and probably some toxins. However, don't count on this happening every week.

Keep in mind that while the cabbage diet may cause you to drop weight quickly, you'll gain those pounds back, and then some, because there's no way you can sustain yourself eating only cabbage for more than a few days. Let's get real.

The truth is that every time you starve your body, it will go into defense mode and store each and every calorie you consume for survival. So, when you give in and eat that big, juicy burger with large fries and a coke, your body will hold onto those calories for dear life, after all, you just tried to starve yourself to death - that's the way your metabolism works, like it or not.

Be smart about your weight loss plan and you'll see the results you want.

Here are some tips that can help you to lose a reasonable amount of weight quickly:

Eat a Good Breakfast

Did you know that you can burn 5% more calories when you eat breakfast in the morning?

That's right. Your body is a wonderful machine that thrives on fuel, just like cars do. When you give it fuel in the morning, your metabolism will run at optimal speed, which then burns up more calories.

Throw Out Your Junk Food

Go through your cupboards and throw out all of those fatty snacks that you love so much. You can't afford to have this stuff hanging around always tempting you to cheat.

After you've gotten rid of the unhealthy foods, replace them with healthy snacks that you'll enjoy. Discover the wonderful flavor of fresh fruit again. Nuts and raisins are also a great snack food, as well as, dried fruit.

Wait until you feel hungry before your reach for a snack.

Put Out a Tip Jar

Make your own tip jar and put it somewhere safe. Every time you achieve one of your weight loss goals, put a dollar or two into your tip jar - or maybe even splurge and pay yourself five or ten dollars.

This is your reward money for doing a good job and sticking to your goals. It'll be fun once you've reached your desired weight and you can take your reward money and go shopping for something special.

Dance Around

If you love music, you can pop in a CD or put on your ipod and wiggle and jiggle your way through some fun exercise. Dancing is a great way to get your body moving and your circulation flowing again. Even if you can only do the two-step, moving from side to side is way better than just sitting on the couch for several hours.

I hope these tips will help you with your weight loss goals and I wish you much success in losing those extra pounds and keeping them off for good.

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A New Weight Loss Plan and a New Job Go Hand in Hand

If you are one of the thousands of people who started a new job this week or moved on to higher pursuits in your career, I would like to say congratulations and a job well done.

Now most people upon starting a new position will want to look their very best and continue to do so after the initial interviews and hiring process. You probably want a brand new wardrobe but realize that if you were a few pounds lighter there would be more styles to choose from.

And whether you say this out loud or not, you know in your heart that if you were 10, 20, 30 or more pounds slimmer that you would not only look better but importantly, feel a world of a difference as far as your body's health.

Of course, now that you have a new career position, you may be busy for a while which is certainly understandable. But keep in mind that you have 336 half hours week in and week out. And of those half hours, you really only need 5 of them to enjoy walking. You will see and feel the difference.

Perhaps you can go walking before or after work with your kids or friends in the neighborhood. There's nothing like being outside in the fresh air and enjoying the sunlight that gives us the necessary vitamin D.

Or how about this idea: Instead of eating lunch at your desk or a lunchroom table, take your new diet and eat standing up and finishing your lunch with a walk with fellow employees. That would be a fun way to get to know your new associates on the job on a more informal basis.

Above all else, one needs to stop complaining about their weight problems and more importantly stop making excuses. If one starts taking responsibility for their change of diet and exercise, the mental battle has already been won.

All that is left is making time to walk and we're only talking a half an hour a day five times per week. And don't forget that this could be real quality time with your family, friends or fellow employees.

So, make your decision to look and feel better today. Then you can start celebrating with that new wardrobe or gift that you've been wanting with that new found money from your exciting new career.

FJ Tapia, a respected author, has been doing research in the areas of finance and health for over 10 years. FJ's writings reaches millions of readers and shares with them the most relevant and accurate information. In this case on weight loss diet. http://www.nosurgerylipotherapy.com/index.php

What's The Best Exercise For You?

There are many types of exercise programs to include: building muscle, losing weight, increasing stamina, improving heart or lung problems, etc. But there is only one unique exercise that stimulates every cell in your body.

The exercise is rebounding!

While being easy and fun to do, it has a tremendously favorable impact on your immune system. This in turn can lead to many far reaching benefits such as an increase in stamina, mental clarity, better vision and balance, decrease in back or joint pain, and a host of other health improvements.

Rebounding data collected and presented by leading health experts has been confirmed by NASA and the United States Air Force, among other reliable organizations.

With the advent of the mini trampoline in recent years, you now can easily place this simple piece of equipment in your home or office. People who exercised on a mini trampoline for 15-30 daily have discovered the far reaching benefits of rebounding.

Even if you bounce up and down without your feet leaving the trampoline, you can enjoy the benefits of this exercise. It can be used by children, senior citizens, pregnant women, and even people recovering from an injury or illness. Professional athletes can also do this exercise at a higher level of intensity.

You can join a health club that provides all kinds of equipment to include stationary bikes, treadmills, indoor tracks, bar bells, etc. at a monthly cost in the neighborhood of $20-30 a month, or with a modest investment in a mini trampoline, you could achieve some significant health benefits in the comfort of your home or office.

The author of this article has a free report that includes a personal story of how an asthmatic senior citizen has benefited from this amazing exercise! Click on the link below to get your free report.

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Lose Weight And Maintain It - 7 Tips To Healthy Weight Loss

1. Don't try to lose weight extremely fast. It always results in a weight gain "backlash". Trying to lose weight at a rapid pace sends a chemical message to your body that basically, it's being starved to death. If you use a fad-type diet (pills, herbs, etc...) you may experience some immediate weight loss. The problem arises when you stop using the medication/herbs/supplements. There's nothing wrong with helping yourself along the way, but don't rely solely on this for a long-term change in your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is something that you want to do for the rest of your life by developing good habits.

2. Pick a diet plan/strategy that you can live with as a lifestyle. You know yourself better than anyone and how your body operates. It's important to find a diet plan that will work for you, which may not be what works for a lot of other people. For example, vegetarianism is a great way to lose weight, but it's not for everybody.

3. Set reasonable weight loss goals, based on how much weight you need to lose and your body type. Make sure your weight loss goals are not totally unreasonable for YOU. Trying to lose more than 10 pounds a month may lead to that "weight loss back-lash" I mentioned earlier. Remember, this is something you want to be able to maintain for the rest of your life. You are slowly reprogramming your brain to change how you think about and react to food.

4. Reward yourself when you reach your goals. I can't stress how important I believe this is. And I don't mean with food. Take yourself to a day spa for a massage and some other good things. Buy a new pair of shoes you've had your eye on for a while. Buy a beautiful new dress, even if it's just one size smaller than you were previously. I think we humans all react very well to incentives when we've done something good.

5. Avoid eating in restaurants as much as possible. Cook for yourself. If you must, keep it down to a minimum and order the best salad they have on the menu, one of those nice dinner salads that's like an entree, with maybe some grilled chicken or shrimp included. When you eat in restaurants, you have no idea of what ingredients are in a lot of the dishes. If you like grilled fish, like salmon or tuna steak, that's a big plus and it's good for you.

6. Decide on an exercise regimen that actually appeals to you. Walking is one of the absolute best exercises for weight loss. It doesn't build muscle mass, but definitely will take off the pounds. Start slowly if you need to. If you only have time or can manage just fifteen minutes every day, that's a start. You can build up to more time as you lose weight. If you want to add weight training later, you can. But the important thing is to make sure it's something you can enjoy, that doesn't feel like torture. If you like to swim, do that. If you like yoga, do that. But by all means, do some kind of exercise on a regular basis.

7. Learn to enjoy healthy foods and only keep healthy foods in your home. Oh, I can feel the cringing on this one. But it's not that hard. We are creatures of habit and you just have to change your habits. That's all. Yes, I am suggesting that you learn to enjoy raw vegetables, grilled meat instead of fried, stop eating dessert whatsoever and eat fruit instead. But guess what? When you only eat those types of foods, you will eventually learn to like those foods and the bad things you were eating before won't even appeal to you anymore. They won't even be tempting anymore. And if you must have dessert, make sure it's sugar-free.

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3 Keys To Washboard Abs

While my primary focus (and recommendation) is strength training for the sake of gaining functional strength, there's no denying that a majority of people want to know how to get washboard abs. Male or female, washboard abs are often a big fitness goal.

So, here's a basic overview of how to get washboard abs, broken down into three elements: Nutrition, strength training, and cardio. Now before you take off, this won't be all the same stuff you've already read a hundred times - and will offer some tips you can use now.

Nutrition

The first and most important element in losing the fat covering your abs is your diet. You have to eat well. It's not as difficult as you may think, and you don't have to starve yourself. Even a simple change resulting in 300 fewer calories a day will make a difference when combined with the other two elements discussed below.

For a simple start, here are a few (simplified) tips:

• Stop drinking your calories (cut out soft drinks)
• Eat less white food (cut back on processed carbs)
• Eat more fruits & veggies
• Eat enough lean protein (aim for 1 gram per two pounds of bodyweight)

Just remember, it's much easier to NOT eat that piece of cheesecake than it is to burn it off later!

Strength Training

The absence of strength training is a major problem with a lot of weight loss programs. In addition to building strength, strength training also firms, tones, and builds your muscles. By building muscle, you naturally raise your metabolism. Muscle uses more calories than fat, so more muscle means more fat burning - even at rest. And don't worry ladies, you won't bulk up. For the average female, washboard abs often aren't the goal - just a slim tummy. That's OK, the process is the same.

For a strength training workout, stick with mulit-joint full-body exercises when possible. I recommend circuit training. Circuit training allows you to get a great strength workout in a short period of time, while burning calories very effectively. It's perfect if your goal is to firm up. However, it's not optimal if you're really trying to gain strength or muscle mass, which would call for more specified programs.

On to some exercises for washboard abs. You don't need to do crunches 'til the cows come home. That's not how to get washboard abs. In fact, don't do crunches or situps. Start with simple drills like the plank, side plank (and their variations), bird dog, etc. If you train with kettlebells, the Turkish Get-Up and windmill are excellent exercises.

Cardio

Last but not least is the cardio element. I don't like that terminology, but we all know what it means. Basically, it involves getting your heart rate up for a period of time, exercising the heart and lungs, and burning fat.

However, forget about hanging out on the treadmill or stationary bike for an hour. There's a better way - interval training. Interval training consists of mixing brief high-intensity activity with brief periods of rest. Tests have shown that interval training can be up to TWICE as effective as traditional cardio.

Here's a sample interval training workout:

• Warmup (5 minutes)
• Jog on treadmill (2 minutes)
• Sprint on treadmill (1 minute)
• Repeat Jog/Sprint set 3-5 times
• Cooldown (walk for 5 minutes)

Your sprint time should be very intense, where your jog time should be a very relaxed pace. The idea is to put out an all-out effort (for your fitness level) for a short period, followed by an active rest period until you've just about caught your breath, then back to the all-out effort. A great deal of the effectiveness of interval training comes from repeatedly shocking your system in this way.

It's the combination of these three elements that will help you meet your goal of washboard abs. Good abs come from firm muscle and low body fat. The strength training aspect offers the muscle, while the nutrition and cardio work together to control your calories, dropping your body fat. In addition, the strength and cardio elements can often be combined, making for shorter workouts than traditional programs - and they can be done at home.

Finally, keep in mind that a nice-looking body will come naturally from a lifestyle of good nutrition and exercise. In other words, if you make your goal health and strength, the looks will be a natural, welcome side effect!

Sign up for the free newsletter and get your FREE COPY of the original Turbulence Training 4-Week Program at my Benefits of Interval Training blog.

Jason Casey has had an interest in functional strength and fitness for over 20 years. Find books, DVDs and product reviews on kettlebell training, functional strength, circuit training, interval training, and weight loss at http://www.nostinkinggym.com - for regular folks who like to work out at home.

Create an Effective Weight Loss Plan - Four Steps to Success

There are many characteristics of an effective weight loss plan. One of them is that these plans should be built with practical thinking. Before you even start to create your weight loss plan you must have a vision of the end result of your weight loss efforts. In other words you must know why you want to lose weight. While it can be confusing and very overwhelming to build your own weight loss plan, take a look at these four suggestions to help you get some direction and get started with your own plan right away.

Step 1

As mentioned in the last paragraph, you need a vision as to what the pay off for your weight loss efforts will be. So ask yourself why you want to lose weight. Many people have many different reasons to lose weight. What are your reasons to lose weight? Do you want to lose weight to fit into normal clothes again? Maybe you don't want to be the "fat parent of the town" any more. Or maybe you just want to look good and feel good about yourself. What ever the reason, write it down. Once you have the end result in mind then you can go to the next step.

Step 2

The next step is to define the goal you want to accomplish. The goal should be realistic but you should work for it so you can keep focusing on making an effort. For example, losing 2 lbs in 1 month is way too easy. However, if you want to lose 10 lbs in the next month, that is a good goal where you will need to work for it throughout the month. Plus at the same time the goal is obtainable. Another good goal to have is to eat clean for 6 days during the next week.

Step 3

Now that you have a goal defined, you need to create a plan to reach your goal. First off, your plan needs to be a workable plan that you can stick with. For example, planning to go to the gym twice a day when you work 10 hours a day is not doable. However, you make be able to get to the gym 3 times the following week. Here are some suggestions to help you with your plan.

Eat smaller portions of food. While easier said than done, it's very possible. If you eat every three hours, it will be much easier and you'll be less hungry. So you plan to eat 5 small meals, every 3 hours for 6 days this week.

Eat healthier foods. The best approach is to cut out the fast foods, eat foods with no sugar and cut out the fast foods. Make sure you eat healthy foods that you like or it will be a very tough rule to follow. So your plan should include a menu for each day of the week.

Start exercising. Exercising helps compliment your diet by burning extra calories by building muscle. The best way to build muscle is through weight training. Try making it a habit to work out 2-3 times a week. As a reminder, make sure you can schedule these workouts so you can stick to these workouts. If you need to really simplify things at first, find a way to start walking every day.

Step 4

The last step of an effective weight loss plan is to start executing the plan. Now that you have created your own plan, its now time to start moving with it.

Creating an effective weight loss plan doesn't have to be that challenging but it can be over whelming if you're not sure of the steps needed to put a plan together. Using the four steps discussed above will help you create an effective weight loss plan every week.

To get all the information you need to create an effective weight loss plan, please read our review of the book Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Read our review here: http://www.addfitness.com/reviews/burn-the-fat-feed-the-muscle.shtml

A Secret To Lose My Belly Fat

You used to go to the gym after work, but since many years now you get bothered or you don't have the money to join the gym. Whatever your reason exercising at home is a very viable way to improve your health. There are many things you can do. You can walk around the house. You can even do exercises to tone your muscles. Look around your house. You'll see many things you can use to exercise.

But you have to know that losing weight is an art, and if you want real results you have to follow a program that has made such evidence in the field. You also need to learn the right exercises. I recommend that you start with bodyweight exercises if you are a beginner. 30 minutes of exercise does help you lose weight and keep in shape. Start today and in only several weeks, you will see results.

But don't forget getting started involves more than just excercising the first day. There are many who do this and never return. The key in getting started is to make it a part of your lifestyle and a habit. Also

one of the biggest mistakes people make when they start an exercise program is they reduce the amount of activity they do for the rest of the day. They think "I've already done my exercise for the day" and they sit on the lounge. To really lose that weight you need to make sure that you remain active for the rest of the day. Don't spend the rest of the day in bed or on the couch!

The turbulence training fat loss program will show you the proper way to use your body to burn fat.

There are countless "weight free" exercises that will help you to burn fat, gain muscle and get a great workout at the same time.

to learn more about exercise and how to be in better shape, just visit http://turbulencetrainingnew.blogspot.com

#1 Missing Factor in Weight Loss Programs

Trying to lose weight all on your own will never work.

It's that simple.

So here's what "social support" means, and how to get it.

Social support is probably one of the missing ingredients that people don't realize how important that is to achieve. Not only fitness goals, but really any goals in life. For example, to achieve your business goals you have to have support of other business minded people to help you.

If you want to stop drinking you've got to hang around people that don't drink. In this day and age, our social groups are a lot different now. There's a lot more internet based, for better or for worse, but the positive power of these internet based groups can be huge, especially now as they get more specific.

Going on the internet can help. If you use the Turbulence Training member forums, you'll get the best help. There are forums specific for moms that are trying to lose body fat.

So, we're able to get more specific now and that way you don't have to go through a lot of various stuff to get to the specific stuff. You just go right to the specific stuff that's helping you with your specific problem. So there's all sorts of good stuff out there on the internet so hopefully people will be able to find it. But these networking sites and forums and that type of stuff are very, very helpful.

Social support means getting at least one person, and preferably a lot more people, to encourage you, check up on you, motivate you, keep you in line, and keep you on track. You need to be accountable to these people. You need to state your goals to these people.

By doing this, you will have a greater chance of success. You can also workout with someone to get the maximum benefits of social support.

Scientists know that partnering up with a friend will help you lose fat.

So stick with winners. Partner up with someone to get help and get their success to rub off on you.

You sometimes need to pay someone for the right social support. Research shows that being accountable to an authoritative figure also increases your chance for success.

And finally, although there isn't a research study to support me, I know that hanging around the right people will help you lose fat, while spending time with the wrong people will stop you from reaching your goals.

For example, if you continue to hang around beer-drinking, wing-eating friends 4 days of the week, expect to have a beer drinker's body.

Now, I'm not saying you can't have one special night out per week, but I am saying keep it to one night out, and limit the beer and wing intake.

Sacrifices have to be made, but it is a lot easier to make them when you have a social support team that is there helping you choose the right foods and do the right workouts.

Turbulence Training gives you the best fat burning workouts Get your free report on cardio from TurbulenceTraining.com

Weight Loss Speed Bumps

Have you ever thought of your diet as a road? Roads have bends, twists, and speed bumps along the way. Diets do as well. On your weight loss road, you're going to make choices that aren't on your diet. It isn't realistic to believe you're never going to make food choices that aren't on your diet. Diets are meant to be consistent not perfect. The key is to know there are speed bumps along the way and to move full speed ahead from them.

The key to success is what you do the majority of time. Dieting and losing weight isn't shining a spotlight on a single choice, a specific day or two. It is a zoom out perspective of what you do over the period of a few days, weeks, and months. We didn't become overweight with one bad choice or even "going for it" for a few days. We've become overweight through multiple unhealthy choices over a prolonged period of time. Don't let a bad choice derail you. Don't wait until the next day or the following Monday to begin again. When you make a bad choice, pick yourself up and begin again right then. You don't have to beat yourself for a bad choice but congratulate yourself for getting right back on track. That's a big reason to feel very proud of yourself.

Many of us expect perfection of ourselves when it comes to our weight loss program. When we go off track, we feel disappointed and discouraged. It's your consistent eating patterns over weeks and months that matter and add up to weight loss. Those few slips-ups are merely speed bumps in the road. When you get past the speed bump of a food slip up, put your pedal t the metal and move full speed ahead to continue your weight loss success. The occasional slip-ups do not determine your weight loss success.

When you find yourself getting back on track, here are some suggested strategies to stay on track:

* Eat only fruits and vegetables for between meal snacks.

Drink 64 ounces of water or 8 glasses per day. This will help you feel less hungry and your metabolism running efficiently and at its maximum.

* Do not skip meals to make up for an earlier calorie indulgence. Skipping meals only serves to slow down your metabolism.

Record your food and activity. Write down what you eating, even a taste of this or a bite of that.

* Sugar-free and fat-free choices count. These choices are not calorie-free. Make sure you're not eating excessive amounts of these types of foods and thinking they are free of calories.

* By exercising, you'll gain the feeling of control and being back on your diet track.

* Don't beat yourself up for choices you can't take back. Note why you made the food choices that you did and learn from them for the future. You can use these speed bumps as lessons for future choices.

The journey to weight loss success isn't determined with one choice. Zoom out in your perspective and know that your weight loss success comes in consistent healthy choices. Persistence with your weight loss plan is what is important. Look at your weight loss as a continual journey that has a few speed bumps along the way and has the most beautiful scenery that is your life. Enjoy!

Cathy Wilson is a weight loss life coach. Cathy lost 147 pounds six years ago. Her passion is helping clients achieve their weight loss and life goals. Cathy works with clients to create a weight loss life plan that is customized to each client. Cathy is a member of the International Coaching Federation, International Association of Coaches, and Obesity Action Coalition.

Visit Cathy's website: http://www.LoseWeightFindLife.com

Benefits of Exercise

The benefits of exercise go far beyond losing weight or building an attractive body. We often hear that we are supposed to exercise, but unfortunately many people tend dismiss the importance and value of this simple act, as just something doctors or health care providers routinely say to keep us fit. There isn't a true understanding that health or lack of is influenced greatly by the level of physical activity you get each day.

It is one of the most powerful sources of holistic health care available to us and it doesn't have to cost us anything or require a trip to the doctor. Exercise is one of the easiest and most natural ways to keep your body and mind healthy.

The benefits of exercise do not only apply to those trying to prevent disease or health conditions, but it is also of great value to those already living with a disease or health issue. It can be a great tool to manage and relieve symptoms, deal with stress more effectively, boost the immune system and improve the mood.

Whether your looking to the holistic and alternative health approach or traditional medicine, exercise is an essential component of any health and wellness plan, because it's extremely effective.

It promotes healing, makes the body stronger and builds stamina to resist harmful viruses, toxins and bacteria we come in contact with every day. You can't find a better stress reliever than physical exercise.

The more physical activity you get, the more oxygen that your circulate through your body. Oxygen is critical for your muscles to work right, your brain to function properly and to clean out toxins from your blood. Exercise gets your blood pumping faster and keeps your bodies systems moving so that toxins don't build up.

This is important because many diseases are the result of a clogging up or build up of a particular substances or toxins. For example, a contributing factor to heart disease is the build of plaque on the arteries and arthritis can be cause by a build up of calcium. These types of occurrences can be greatly reduced with regular physical activity.

Exercise also assists in keeping the colon functioning properly, getting a good nights sleep, promotes healthy digestion, reduces depression, anxiety, irritability and mood swings .

Now even many people who realize the importance of exercise have a hard time incorporating it into their life. Some people don't have the time, motivation, or energy, while others think it's too much work or boring.

The problem here is that they are going about it all wrong. In order to stick with an exercise program it must be something you enjoy. If going to the gym every day seems like a chore, then it's not something you will follow through with.

There are many different forms of exercise and the key is to find one that is a good fit for you. There is swimming, yoga, tai chi, walking, jogging, going to the gym, dancing, basketball, tennis, volleyball, treadmills, steppers and even gardening to name a few. These are all excellent types of exercise.

Make your exercise fun and it will be something you look forward to and you'll be able reap the physical and emotional benefits of exercise without much effort at all.

Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed. is an author and holistic health counselor helping individuals living with chronic illness or chronic pain to live life more fully.

http://www.holistichelp.net/holistic-health-care.html

Visit her site for more holistic health care tips techniques and strategies.

Fat Loss Secrets - 3 Secrets That Won't Cost You a Dime

The weight loss industry wants to keep you in the dark. They don't want you to be educated or learn any of the so called fat loss secrets. Why? Because if you knew that you could have effective fat loss on your own why would you need their expensive monthly membership programs, specialty meals, and supplements.

I want to help you, I want to show you that you don't need to spend big bucks to lose belly fat and enjoy the figure and target weight you strive for. The follow three fat loss secrets can be implemented by anyone, anytime and they won't cost you a dime.

Secret #1 Your metabolism is everything and you can speed it up

The consensus on metabolism is you either have a fast one or a slow one, and it slows down for everyone as we get older. NOT TRUE. People who discover that by spacing their meals out through the day, eating more smaller meals rather then 3 big meals you can increase the rate of metabolism.

Secret #2 Counting calories not just eating "healthy"

Do you know how many calories you should be eating each day based on your age, weight, and activity levels? How about how many your currently eating on average each day? You need this information, and you need it now. So starting today in a journal write down everything you eat for 7 days and the calories you take in from it. At the end of 7 days get the average.

Next, search for a calorie calculator on the web, and find out what your suggested calorie intake is for each day. You want to modify your daily calorie intake to be below this number, about 250-500 calories is enough to make a difference, anymore then that and you risk not losing weight because your body thinks it might be starving.

By cutting the number of calories you eat each day you will create a calorie deficit that in turn will burn fat to make up the difference. As far as fat loss secrets go, this is what most diets are based on.

Secret #3 Exercising and dieting is the real catalyst

Not all diets stress the importance of exercise but I will. If you implement the tip above of counting your calories, tracking what you take in and then measuring that against what you should be eating exercise will make a profound difference in your fat loss.

Let's assume you cut your daily calorie intake by 500 calories below you suggested limit. You then exercise for 30 minutes that day. You've suddenly created an even bigger calorie deficit of 750 or maybe even 1000 calories depending on how hard you work out was. This will make a big difference at the end of each week when you weight in.

So maybe these fat loss secrets aren't all that "SECRET" shall we say. How ever their smart practical education about fat loss as a whole. I suggest you continue learning about how we gain and lose weight, and how you can lead a healthier lifestyle.

To learn more about Fast fat loss visit http://www.stopbellyfat.com a popular website people visit to learn about and choose a fat loss program.

Starvation Diets - Starving to Lose Weight

A starvation diet in my mind is any diet where you are starving yourself. I know that when we are dieting usually we will restrict our calories so that we are burning more calories than we eat but on a starvation diet we are actually restricting calories to such a point that we affect our metabolism and force our bodies to jump into a phase below dieting where we are not able to lose weight anymore.

To understand a starvation diet we need to look at what we are doing to our body when if we decide not to eat at all for a few days. First of all our bodies will think that we are just between meals and our body will start to use up blood sugar and then start burning up carbs until they are gone. Once we have run out of carbs our body should use fat and muscle tissue for energy but instead will start to lower our metabolism in a fight to protect our bodiesthis is the starvation phase. Eventually if we did not eat our bodies would start to burn off our fat and muscle and our metabolism would slow to a point where we would become very lethargic and our organs would start to slow down and eventually shut down and we would die. There are not many people that would go this far bad as we see in people with bulimia this definitely does happen sometimes.

Instead of using a starvation diet to lose weight what most diets tend to do is to confuse the mind and body so that our metabolism well stay up and will continue to burn fat while at the same time hopefully not burning the muscle that we have nearly as quickly. If we look at bodybuilders in their dieting phase before a competition they must lose all of their fat so they have to diet fairly hard and expect to lose some of their muscle actually quite a bit of muscle.

When you are looking at a diet and do not want to starve look at the following points.

1. What is the goal of your diet? Usually the goal is to lose fat
2. What are you going to do to lose that fat? If you diet your body needs to stay a little bit comfortable and if your try to lose weight too fast you will go into starvation mode.
3. What are you going to do to raise your metabolism? Most people will use exercise for two reasons, firstly the exercise will burn calories to help you lose weight, but even more importantly getting exercise will force your body to raise your metabolism so that it can be ready when more exercise is going to happen.

In reading this hopefully you will see your body as I do, and that is that our bodies are machines that adjust to stimuli fairly quickly. Your body will speed up and slow down its burning of calories and storing of fat. I hope this will help you a little bit in learning to control your body using diet and exercise.

For more information on picking a diet and workout plan for yourself you can visit my build muscle book review or my fat loss for idiots review.

Flatten Your Abs and Get Rid of That Gut

NO doubt, you are sick and tired of carrying around that ugly gut. You are sick and tired of people staring. The good news is, you dont have to deal within anymore as now, there is a solution that will help you to flatten your abs and get rid of that gut!

First, youll need to do some crunches and sit-ups. Keep I mind that these alone will not give you the results you want. This means that youll need to adjust your eating habits and do some additional exercises along with your routine to get the results you so desire.

The first thing youll want to do is eat healthy. Eat calories that are low enough to burn off the fat but high enough to sustain energy. Also, do not eat huge feasts. It is a better idea to eat a number of small meals throughout the day, instead of two or three larger meals.

Second, you should workout using weights. This will help to strengthen your abs muscles making them tighter. Not to mention, it will stabilize them enabling for a better workout.

Cardio is also a very important part of this process. This is because it stimulates the metabolism as well as assists in the burning of the fat. Not only that, it builds up your endurance levels.

If you follow these tips, you are sure to flatten those abs and get rid of that gut. It is then that youll feel the confidence you so longed for.

Download your free report today and discover the SHOCKINGLY simple abdominal workouts, exercises and nutritional advice that will shed pounds from your stomach & transform your flabby belly into firm & flat six pack abs

Visit http://www.firmupyourabs.com to download your free copy.

What If The Weight Loss Product You're Buying is Poison?

These days, obese people suffer less from obesity related problems and more from the side effects of weight loss products that they use. If you don't exercise caution when buying a weight loss product, it can be harmful for your health. Doing your due diligence and arming yourself with the correct knowledge is very much essential, especially when it comes to weight loss. Before buying any weight loss product, make sure that you have researched it thoroughly. During your search, you should try to get as much information as possible about the product, its good and bad effects, the ingredients that it is made up of, etc., as these things can seriously affect your health, either positively or negatively! In this article I will tell you how to know a good weight loss product from the bad ones.

To start with, you shouldn't accept everything at face value. The internet is littered with both good and bad information, and more often than not, the bad information overshadows the good one. There is a lot of misleading information regarding several weight loss products doing the rounds of the World Wide Web, and in case you don't know, the perpetrators of this misleading information are either the product manufacturers themselves or their partners who promote the products on their behalf. You may come across websites offering you what seems to be 'honest reviews' regarding your product, but is that really so? Most of these reviews are filled up with dishonest, misleading and fraudulent information, and if you rely on this information when purchasing a weight loss product, you are doomed!

I will give an example to clarify my point. You maybe aware of the fact that there are several websites out there claiming to offer natural weight loss products. Well, at one point of time, some experts of the Johns Hopkins University surveyed those sites in order to find out whether the outrageous claims made by these sites are true or not. Not surprisingly, many websites failed the test; some failed to give information regarding the correct dosage of the supplement, others failed to reveal about the harmful side effects of the products, and yet others failed to offer information regarding the ingredients of the products. Believe it or not, lack of such vital pieces of information can harm the consumer more than anyone else.

So, how to separate the wheat from the chaff? As a rule of thumb, you should avoid products whose claims seem to be outrageous or impossible. An old saying goes that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is! If you find a website that claims that their product can do miracles for you, chances are that reality is exactly the opposite - that is, it will harm your body in a 'miraculous' way.

Your best bet is to consult a doctor or a nutritionist before you even decide to buy any weight loss pill. Your doctor should be able to clarify what side effects the consumption of a particular medicine may have, and this piece of information alone will save you from a lot of troubles down the road!

Sick and tired of your weight problem? Want to finally lose weight? Then go to my site http://www.loss-rapid-weight.com and get your FREE report on weight loss. Start losing weight today!

The Secret Food For New Year Diet Success

At this time of year a record number of people are preparing to start a New Year diet as part of there list of New Year Resolutions. It's an inevitable part of Christmas. As part of that, people are often worrying about how that they are going to make their diet stick to they can have long term weight loss that has eluded them in previous years. Well this year the secret food for diet success can be part of everyone's diet. But its not what you thought.

The food you put in your mouth is important for diet success. Keep putting the wrong stuff and you'll start to fail with your New Year Diet. However as important as the food you put in your mouth is, it is not as important as the food you put in your brain. This is the real secret of a weight loss programme that succeeds over the long term.

There are a whole host of reasons but basically it boils down to the simple fact that every action you take, every decision you make around food goes on in your brain. Go to the burger stand or walk by? It's in your brain. Salad or Piazza? It's in your brain. Go for the walk or stay in front of the TV? It's in your brain.

Everything is a series of choices. Absolutely everything! If your diet has failed on previous occasions, chances are it will down to this. That point where you started making decisions to stay seated, to not exercise or to grab that extra slice of whatever.

Don't be too harsh on yourself though. We make so many decisions each day and they happen so quickly they're virtually invisible and we don't recognise them as decisions. But now that you do know, you're ahead of the game. Better still, once you learn that you can control those thoughts and that you can get to a point where the right decisions are automatic you can put your New Year Diet on the road to success.

The secret, the real secret to a successful New Year Diet (or any diet for that matter) is getting your brain ready to be successful. To do that, you have to help it make the right choices for you. And it all works on a simple rule

You Get What You Focus On

So you have to focus on what diet success will look like to you. There are so many things you can do and as you learn each one you can add them to your arsenal. Right now however you have to spend some time thinking about what the new you will look like. You need to picture yourself living the life you will enjoy as a result of being the way you want to be. Don't focus on what you want to avoid, focus on what you want. See it as vividly as possible. Do it whenever you have some spare time. Make that 30 second daydream count for something.

There are a whole range of techniques that you can build into your mental diet and they can be done quite easily. It's vital that you make these a key part fo your diet to ensure long term success. Once you have these and are staying on track, imagine the boost you'll get as others start to fall at the fences and you are coasting along knowing you know the real secret behind successful diets.

The secret to long term weight loss has become this years hottest diet topic. Ed Thomas has been trying to get this message out for years. His blog at http://superdietsecret.blogspot.com where he's gathering techniques for permanent weight loss for everyone.

The Worst Weight Loss Strategy Ever?

The word diet conjures up images of depriving oneself of the foods one likes or more extreme visions of starving oneself pop up. However, a clinically proven and a nutritious well-balanced diet, like the Medifast Diet, Atkins and South Beach dispel such visions. Moreover, it may surprise most to learn that the variety of meals available within these diet programs is immense in some cases with over 50 different ones to choose from, including shakes, bars and drinks. Not only are diets like these healthy and nutritious, they also allow one to consume food regularly in some cases every 2-3 hours. There is no need to count calories or carbs.

Given that it takes two incomes in most households and a great majority of men and women both are in the workforce these days, there is hardly any time to prepare elaborate meals. On the surface, diet programs that provide ready made food for easy and effortless consumption provide many with false hope.

These diets are a great way to begin the process of weight loss however those serious about their weight loss must not allow themselves to fall into the trap of participating in the worst weight loss strategy ever. It can be easy to get sucked into they medias constant hype of such magic pill diet programs, especially since one can read many real life success stories listed on the internet. The key component missing with most of these plans is the addition of regular exercise. Proper nutrition and portion control is an effective strategy however it is merely one piece of the puzzle. Here are a few of the key benefits of mixing a healthy diet with a healthy dose of physical activity.

Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity:

Reduce the risk of premature death
Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
Reduce depression and anxiety
Improve psychological well-being
Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance

Want the simplest plan to loose weight almost immediately? Eat less and exercise more.

They say a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. The first step would be to visit the websites of these popular diet programs to learn more about them as well as to read the reviews. Your next step should be to find an interesting exercise routine that works with your schedule and your physical capabilities. Begin by checking out a trial membership in your local YMCA. If you do decide to investigate any diet plan further, search the internet to locate plenty of coupons that are available on a variety of websites to take advantage of price discounts. In this day and age where most people have easy access to a computer, a new and improved you is just a few clicks away.

Brian Stephenson is the President of StephensonandCompany.com a diet product review company based in Houston, Texas. To read Brian's review of one of the Medifast diet plan, visit http://www.StephensonandCompany.com/medifast

Fastest Weight Loss Method

Would you believe me if I said the fastest weight loss method available actually involves eating more food? Of course you wouldn't, but amazingly this isn't a joke or a scam. So what is this diet that sounds too good to be true.

The diet in question is called calorie shifting and yes it really does work by eating more. Calorie shifting works by increasing your metabolism to work at a higher rate which brings on faster weight loss.

It does this by mixing up the foods you eat and the calories you in take each day. This stops the body from figuring out any sort of routine and sensing you are on a diet. Thanks to the confusion it causes your body will actually burn calories faster.

You eat 4 meals a day on the program and the only thing you really need to make sure of is that each of the meals consist of different calorie amounts and you will soon see results. A menu generator can also be attained for those that want an extra level of help with an eating plan.

By eating 4 meals a day or more if you like you will keep the metabolism working constantly throughout the day meaning calories are being burned all day. This is why eating more really can help you to lose weight.

Calorie shifting diet users tend to report losses of between 8 to 15 pounds in the first 2 week and since the diet works on a continuous cycle the results will keep coming for as long as you use the diet.

You can get more information about the calorie shifting diet if you visit here.

11 Simple Ways to Lose Weight

Diet and proper nutrition plays an important key factor in fat loss.

A healthy diet needs to be well rounded with the proper amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals - which also includes a daily intake of fiber, protein, and good source of fat.

Not only do we need a balanced diet - a proper meal plan is also required.

Below are 11 ways to lose weight -

1) Quality protein in a daily diet.

Processing protein requires the greatest expenditure of energy, and you will burn more calories digesting it than carbs and fat.

Dietary fat, on the other hand, is so easily processed and turned into body fat that there is little thermic effect. The amount of energy required to process carbohydrates falls between that of protein and fat.

As well, protein creates satiety so your tummy is satisfied longer.

And protein is a great building block for maintaining and building lean muscle (which is one of the main factors for controlling your metabolism).

2) Fiber

For fibers, eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and high fiber unrefined grains.

Fiber in your diet will help you fill up - which is beneficial for fat loss.

3) Eating Fat is a good way to lose weight

Don't ignore the good fat.

Not having enough fat in a diet will result in more cravings, and a negative impact on the hormone levels in your body

Good sources of healthy fats are nuts, seeds, nut butters, avocados, olive oil, organic meats, eggs, coconuts and virgin coconut oil.

Why not Start each day with a handful of nuts, it is also a great source of fiber. By eating nuts, you balance out your blood sugar early in the morning, meaning you're more likely to use fat as energy and can help curb cortisol, the hormone that eats into your fat burning musle tissue

4) No Trans Fat please

Avoid processed foods and sweetened products, such as high fructose corn syrup.

5) Eat more - 5 to 6 meals a day

Eating small meals every 3 hours will increase your metabolism and reduce fat storage.

This is a proven fact that many models, athletes, body builders and lean people abide by.

6) Eat Breakfast Daily

Most people fail to do this.

Eating breakfast is way to break the fast during the sleeping period, and is a great way to boost your metabolism.

By skipping breakfast, your metabolism will run slower which mean the body will not burn body fat.

Your body needs energy, and breakfast provides that source which allows your body to burn more body fat!

Not only that, breakfast helps to stop those cravings later in the day, and maintain your energy level whilst lowering stress levels.

Research has proven that people who ate a veggie omelette for breakfast ate 81% less the rest of the day than a group who ate porridge for breakfast.

Don't know about you - but it sounds like a great way to lose weight!

7) Sleep before 1030 pm

Everyone needs a good sleep. Lack of sleep is one of the main contributors to fat storage.

8) Take more fish oil

Great source of balancing blood sugar levels and reducing carbohydrate cravings.

Fish oil is great for the health, and has the ability to stimulate the fat burning genes, and slow the fat storing genes.

9) Drink plenty of water

If you want to burn body fat quickly, drink a minimum of 8 glasses of purified (filtered or boiled) water a day.

Water will flush out harmful toxins, increase your metabolism and importantly make it difficult for the body fat to accumulate.

10) Mill Flax Seeds

Great source of omega-3 fatty acids, and for women this can help reduce the amount of estrogen-16 in womens' bodies. Estrogen-16 causes fat storage in the hips and thighs.

Milled seeds can be sprinkled on salads, protein shakers or other dishes you see fit.

11) For a Healthy Body, You Need to Exercise

Go for the high intense interval training and strength training. Forget the long boring cardios.

High intensity exercises such as Turbulence Training are far more effective for fat loss and overall health.

There you have it, 11 easy ways to lose weight.

Each meal that you consume needs to have calories coming from protein, carbohydrates and fat. Your body needs each of these in small amounts throughout the day.

As well, drinking plenty of water and planning for regular workouts are great natural ways to lose weight today.

Discover The Best Way to Lose Stomach Fat at http://healthiest.turbulence-training-routine.ever.com/ for the Most Effective Weight Loss Training Workout That Will Boost Muscle Growth and Blowtorch Body Fat!

Weight Loss: Goal-Setting for Success

If you were going to travel to the other side of the world, youd need to plan it. I mean, youre not going to just book a seat on a plane, take off and just take it all as it comes. You need to plan your finances, organize time off from work, get a visa, book accommodation, the list goes on.

Well, the same detail needs to be applied when youre trying to change your life.

The best way to do this is to set goals.

Goal-setting is used by all successful people. It gives them a plan of attack. It keeps them focused on the small things that must be done to achieve big dreams. It tells them precisely what they must do each day in order to succeed.

I bet when youve tried to rid yourself of excess fat in the past youve just said Im going to lose 10kgs..Im going to exercise.and Im not going to eat fat, and that is your plan.

This is why many people fail. They forget the details.

To get the details, you must answer these questions:

Well start with the first statement: Im going to lose 10kg. In what time frame? If you dont have much time then that will affect how much exercise you have to do. It will also affect how strict your diet must be.

Q1. How much body fat do you need to lose?
Q2. What is the time frame? (a realistic level is 0.5-1kg per week)

Next, is the exercise. What type of exercise are you going to do? When are you going to do it? You cant achieve long-term success if you dont plan your exercise.

Q3. What type of exercise are you going to do?
Q4. What days will you do it?
Q5. What time will you do it?
Q6. Who will you do it with?
Q7. Do you need to buy any equipment?

Finally, your eating plan. You need to plan every single meal and snack. I know its takes time but you cant succeed without it. Remember, you not only have to avoid foods high in fat, but also foods high in sugar.

Q8. What will you have for breakfast each morning?
Q9. What will you have for lunch? Do you need to prepare it the night before?
Q10. What will you have for dinner?
Q11. Do you snack? What will you snack on?

Each of these questions need to be answered if you wish to succeed. Sit down right now and do your list. Then you will have your detailed plan for successful fat loss!

Ray Kelly has helped thousands of people achieve their weight loss goals. This article is just one part of his free '7 Day Weight Loss Course'. Sign up for the rest of the course at Free Tips on Weight Loss and Heart Disease

Cardio Can Kill

I'm not a big fan of long cardio, especially extreme bouts of cardio - i.e. running marathons.

Just this past weekend a 41-year old man died running one of the Toronto marathons. Last year, same thing. These are not the first, nor will they be the last men to die running a marathon.

And for what?

To run an irrelevant distance for no reason at all. I don't see any logical reason for most people to run a marathon. Particularly when you are a 40-year old father of a young family. You can be fit and healthy with far less exercise time, as long as you train with far better exercise choices.

Sure, you can say you are pushing the boundaries of your human performance...but I doubt that is any consolation for the family of thes two men.

No matter how "type A" someone is, or how driven they are to perform in a marathon, simply being able to run a marathon proves nothing. And it can have disastrous consequences. Not too mention the many smaller negative consequences of:

a) A waste of hours of your life spent away from your loved ones while you pound the pavement

b) Sore knees, chronic back pain, and blistered feet

c) Money and time wasted in the physiotherapist's office

d) An improperly trained body (i.e. weak back of the body, no upper body strength, overuse injuries)

e) A level of fitness that has limited carryover to real world needs (carrying groceries & other objects, outsprinting an attacker, manual labor, etc.)

So please, if you insist on running marathons, do yourself and your family a favor and:

1) Get a full physical from your doctor. This goes without saying for anyone on an exercise program over the age of 30, but running marathons is another reason not to neglect your physical exams.

2) Pay close attention to your body during the race. Wear a heart rate monitor, and exercise conservatively, drink the right amount of fluids (but not too much as that can be the cause of death in long runs), and just plain be careful. A marathon is hardly a reason to risk your life.

Now, here's more bad news.

Cardio has been killing fat loss programs for decades.

Why?

Because almost all of the exercise science studies performed in the 70's through the early 90's were done on distance running.

From there we got the messages that:

i) To lose fat, you had to do long, slow endurance training. Clearly, we know this is false. Nutrition is the most important aspect of fat loss.

ii) That we should eat a high-carbohydrate diet. This message, while generally true for endurance athletes, was broadly applied to fat loss. So we were subjected to that hideous low-fat, high-carb phase in the 90's where we were urged to eat Snackwell low-fat cookies with no regard to the sugar and calorie content.

iii) Beginners should get out on high-volume, walk-run programs. Now while it is important to get people out and exercising, high-volume activities for underprepared beginner muscles are going to cause injury fast. And that's what happened to most people that tried to take up running.

iv) Too many cardio enthusiasts had the wrong mentality of, "If I go for a 5 mile run, I can have some juice and cookies as a reward". Needless to say, that didn't help anyone lose fat.

The end result?

This high-cardio, high-carb approach to fitness and fat loss left many men and women with thunder thighs, saddle bags, and chronic running injuries.

Fast-forward to this decade, and the mainstream media is finally starting to see the benefits of strength training and interval training for both fat loss and the cardiovascular system.

Not too mention people are finally getting their nutrition right. And it's so simple:

- lots of fruits and vegetables (rarely does anyone get enough)

- lean protein

- healthy fats

- fiber-rich low-glycemic carbohydrates

So eat right, train right, and be safe.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Author, Turbulence Training

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Mens Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Sport-Specific Interval Conditioning

In many sports, a high level of aerobic fitness is necessary for optimal performance because it promotes endurance and assists recovery in "stop-and-go" type sports such as ice hockey. To improve aerobic fitness, coaches have traditionally prescribed long and tedious sessions of continuous sub-maximal exercise for athletes, regardless of their sport-specific metabolic demands.

Most team sports are not characterized by continuous sub-maximal movement speeds BUT/ rather these sports demand periods of high-intensity effort interspersed with maximal bursts of speed and periods of almost complete inactivity. Take soccer for example, a player may move at a moderate speed for minutes while following the play and then will be forced to sprint at their maximal pace for the ball. After that, the player could be faced with a stoppage in play of up to a minute due to various factors.

Considering the endless possibilities, is long-duration, moderate-intensity aerobic training the best method of conditioning these types of athletes? In my opinion it is not. What then are the alternatives? Let us consider "aerobic interval (AI) training" as a more beneficial manner at increasing the aerobic fitness and sport-specific muscular endurance of an athlete in a "stop-and-go" team sport.

Aerobic interval training provides a more sport-specific training intensity, a greater training stimulus that can be applied to the muscles used in the specific activities, and may also be an advanced training method for endurance training athletes looking to overcome a plateau in their aerobic fitness levels.

The intensity level of this training technique is much higher than the intensity level commonly associated with aerobic training. The exercise stimulus may in fact be very damaging to the muscle in its initial attempts and can result in muscle soreness in the days following the training session.

Therefore, prior to beginning a "full-blown" training regimen of AI's, the athlete should develop general muscular strength and endurance and perform a short "lead-in" program of general aerobic exercise (2 weeks; 3 sessions per week; 20 minutes; high-intensity; sport-specific activity).

The initial (first week; 2 sessions) AI training sessions should be conservative in training volume (3-5 intervals) to accustom the muscles and joints to the intensity. As well, a thorough and specific warm-up should be performed as well as pre- and post-exercise flexibility routines.

AI training involves alternating bouts of exercise with recovery periods. A sport-specific mode of exercises is performed for a short duration (2-5 minutes) and followed by an equal length rest interval. High-intensity work is the key factor in this type of training. By incorporating rest intervals, the athlete can work at a much higher (and more sport-specific) power output in comparison to traditional aerobic training.

Determining the intensity of the exercise bout is definitely the trickiest component of the training prescription. The "work" pace should elicit the individual's maximal heart rate by the end of the exercise bout. For example, if a 20-year old athlete (max HR = ~200) ran a 3-minute interval then their 10-second heart rate count should be ~ 33 beats (33 x 6 = 198) at the end of exercise. An example distance for a 3-minute running interval would be ~ 800m. Basically, the athlete wants to pick a training intensity that they believe they could hold constant for up to 10-minutes.

Obviously, picking the intensity can be very subjective unless the facility has "high-tech" training equipment. As the AI intensity should correspond to about 95-100% of the individual's VO2 max, if the athlete has access to high-tech training technology then a more accurate training prescription may be allowed.

Providing an adequate and complete rest interval is paramount! The rest interval must be of an extremely low-intensity so that sufficient recovery will occur and the next work interval can again be performed at a high power output. Do not sacrifice the quality of rest because this will only reduce the benefit of AI training. A reduced recovery will prevent lactate clearance (lactate = muscle fatigue), phosphate energy (CP & ATP) recovery, and improvements in aerobic metabolism. Remember this is not continuous training!

Many athletes that have traditionally trained with only long-slow distance workouts may have difficulty with this concept at the outset of the program, however these athletes will soon become more comfortable in taking a full-length recovery interval.

At ~ 2-minutes of maximal exercise the contribution of the anaerobic & aerobic energy systems are nearly equal and at 5-minutes the contribution is 30% anaerobic & 70% aerobic. Therefore, the high-intensity, short-duration nature of AI allows sport-specific demands to be applied. Training at such a high-intensity recruits the fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are predominantly responsible for anaerobic performance, BUT/ by improving the aerobic system of these fibers, they will be able to recover quicker and be ready to contribute to sprint-performance with less rest time.

The adaptations in the body will be occurring predominantly at the muscle level. The muscle fibers will increase their ability to extract and use oxygen, BUT/ the improvements on oxygen delivery (heart and lung adaptations) may be minimal. The athlete will also improve their ability to tolerate lactate (lactic acid buildup in the muscle and blood) and will be ready to start ANAEROBIC INTERVAL training in the pre-season.

ANAEROBIC intervals match precisely the demands of the sport. For example, a hockey ANAEROBIC interval would be maximal exercise for 30-45 seconds followed by 1-3 minutes of recovery. ANAEROBIC INTERVAL training prescription needs to be addressed in an article of its own, perhaps in the near future...

AEROBIC INTERVAL training prescription

: 2-3 minutes & equal recovery

: progress to 10-12 intervals

: @ 95-100% VO2max; don't go TOO hard! (8-10 min pace)

: ~ maxHR at end of interval

Warmup Work Interval Recovery Interval

Fluids should be available at all times throughout the training session to help combat dehydration. Unfortunately many athletes may not feel comfortable consuming a high-volume of water OR sports drink while undergoing this intensity of training. To compensate, ensure adequate pre-hydration (make it a habit to drink sufficient fluids daily) and excess post-exercise fluid intake. The athlete should use AI to train the body to consume fluids during rest intervals of competition. Remember the importance of being well hydrated (dehydration can cause a reduction in endurance).

WARNING:

Your legs will feel like JELLO upon completion of this workout for the first time! The muscle glycogen (carbohydrate energy) stores will be extremely depleted and muscle fatigue will be high also due to lactate accumulation. Therefore, take caution in the scheduling of the remainder of your training day and the following day because of reduced neuromuscular coordination and fatigue. However, full recovery should occur within 24-48 hours. Make sure to consume a high-carbohydrate snack immediately after exercise and to maintain a diet with sufficient carbohydrate foods and fluids.

Therefore, AI training should occur in a sport-specific manner. The intensity and duration of the intervals should increase in specificity as the pre-season draws closer. Therefore, AI's train the body to perform repeated intervals of high-power outputs with the end result being an increase in sport performance.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Mens Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com